Broken
by infinite eternity
Summary: ... is all that Team 7 really is.
1. Chapter 1

There once was a girl, and she spun through time like it was a carnival ride. She couldn't see past the light, the glaring light. The girl was blind to the darkness. She fell in love with a boy.

The boy didn't love anyone, and his whole being was filled with _so much_ hate _(angerpainhatehatehate)_. Hate for himself, hate for his brother, hate for everything. And hate was all that was left.

There was another boy, one with smiles like sunshine and who was always so _happy_ , even though he had nothing _(nothing at all)_ to be happy about. And he laughed, he laughed to hide the hurt, and forged on through life because if he didn't then _who would?_

And there was a man, a man whose _everything_ had been torn from him. His days were filled with shame, and grief _(the tears won't stop)_. All he used to be had shattered, now a hollow shell of what he could have been and now could never be again _(the pain never goes away)_.

They were broken, even connected _(togetheralwaysstaytogether)_ as they were. Something about them didn't fit quite right, as if everything had fallen apart, came back together, and a crucial piece had been lost in the process. And that was really what it was. Three who had their precious people ripped cruelly from them, and one who soon would.


	2. Chapter 2

Sasuke caught a flash of pink out of the corner of his eye. It was, as he had thought it might be, his teammate.

"Sakura," he greeted.

She started at his voice, and stared at him like a deer caught in headlights. "O-oh," she breathed shakily. "Sasuke."

He couldn't help but notice the way she was tensed, as if she were ready to flee at his slightest movement. She hadn't added the -kun on the end of his name, not like she had done for years, before… before he'd left.

"What do you want with me?" Sakura flinched and put her hand over her mouth. "I mean- I mean, what can I do for you?"

Sasuke scowled. Why was she so scared of him? "You are my teammate," he responded.

"Was," he thought he heard her say under her breath.

"Hn?" he asked.

Sakura cringed away from him again, and said quickly, "N-nothing."

Suddenly, realisation washed over him. She was scared- _terrified_ of him, because he had tried to kill her. Sasuke furrowed his brow, a lump forming in his throat. Of course. Why hadn't he thought of that before?

Then he knew. He hadn't wanted to face it. He hadn't wanted to remember, to acknowledge that he had done something so terrible that nothing could bring him out of hell.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke said, before he could change his mind.

Sakura drew back, surprise flashing through her jade green eyes. "For what?" she asked.

"For-" The words caught in his throat. "For trying to kill you."

"No," Sakura said, ice creeping through her tone.

"What?"

"You're not sorry," she stated, as if it were an irrefutable fact. "Not at all." And she hurried away, disappearing into the dark evening mist.


	3. Chapter 3

"Let's go to Ichiraku!" Naruto shouted, grinning wildly and windmilling his arms. He took his teammates by the hand and tugged them in the direction of the ramen stand.

Sasuke snorted. "Fine, you idiot."

"HEY! Don't call me that, you teme!"

Sakura hated it. She hated how everyone acted like everything was still the same. Like Sasuke hadn't been gone for three years, hadn't gone missing-nin and joined Orochimaru, hadn't tried to _kill them_.

"-kura-chan? Sakura-chan!"

"What?" She looked up. Naruto's hand was flashing back and forth in front of her face.

"Aren't you gonna sit down?"

"Oh-" she started to say, realizing that they were at Ichiraku already, and quickly perched on a stool. It was then that she noticed that the seat she had chosen was next to Sasuke, and his eyes were boring holes into the side of her face. Sakura fought the urge to flee.

He's not that person anymore, she thought. _Maybe he's changed._

Or maybe he _didn't_ , another voice spoke up. He's still _dangerous_.

"What do you want, Sakura?" Sasuke's voice broke through her thoughts.

Once again caught off guard, Sakura flinched. Plastering an easy smile onto her face, she said, "Oh, I'll have the pork ramen, I suppose."

"I thought you were on a diet," Sasuke said, raising an eyebrow.

Sakura bit her lip, and it was a few seconds before she could talk. "Th-that was three years ago, S-sasuke." It was a painfully conspicuous length of time.

Naruto laughed, missing the undertones of the exchange. "Wow, Sasuke-teme!"

"Hn," was the reply.

Their ramen came, and they ate in silence- well, silence, apart from Naruto. When they finished, Sasuke spoke up.

"I'll pay."

Naruto looked at him funny. "Really?!" he exclaimed. "You never do that?"

"Shut up, dobe," Sasuke drawled. "If you keep on yelling, you'll be the one footing the bill."

Naruto snapped his mouth shut with an audible clack.

"Um," Sakura began, her two companions turning to watch her, "it's getting late, so I should- I should get going."  
"I'll walk you home, Sakura-chan!" Naruto offered, grinning widely.

"Ah-"

"There's no need," Sasuke butt in. "I'll do it."

"You really don't have to…" She trailed off as dark eyes landed on her. "So, um, bye."

Sakura walked quickly away from the two boys, breaking into a run as soon as she was out of their line of sight. She couldn't stand the _normality_ , the way Naruto was bantering with the former traitor as if he'd never left. Because he _had_ , he'd done everything they were forgetting he'd done, and it _wasn't all right!_ Why, _why_ were they ignoring it?

She wiped away the tears she hadn't even noticed welling up, and entered her house, slamming the door shut behind her.


End file.
